1981-1987 Study of German Literature and History at the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg (scholarship from the ‘Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes‘)
1989 Dr. phil. (scholarship from the ‘Landesgraduiertenförderung‘; Das Ich und die Andern. Fontanes Figuren und ihre Selbstbilder, summa cum laude)
1989-1990 Completion of the first section of the training phase for ‘Höheres Lehramt‘ at the Schramberg-secondary school (Studienseminar Rottweil)
1990-1993 Academic councilor ad interim at the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg (German Institute)
April 1993-March 1995 Habilitation stipend from the ‘Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft‘ (Aporie des Kunstmythos. Die Texte E. T. A. Hoffmanns)
February 1995 Colloquium and completion of the habilitation process
July 1995-December 1996 Senior assistant at the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg (German Institute II)
1997 'Heisenberg'-Scholarship
1st June 1999 Professorship (C4) for Literature and Media Theory at the University of Cologne (German Institute)
2000-2005 Sub-project manager: cultural studies research project: Media and Cultural Communication. Subproject: Representations of Gender in Film
since 2010 Co-editor of the ‘Hoffmann-Jahrbuch‘;
Guest professorships, lecturers and fellowships at the Washington University in St. Louis, in St. Petersburg, in Seoul, at the University of Pavia;
Publications on European literature from the 18th to the 20th century, gender difference, psychoanalysis and film